This invention relates generally to interment arrangements, and more particularly, to an arrangement for interring cremated remains in an above-ground monument.
Throughout the world there is a growing trend away from the traditional burial disposition of the deceased, and toward the less expensive and voluminous practice of cremation. In England, for example, only 4% of those who died in 1945 were cremated. Today, however, this number has risen to 75%. In the United States, only 10% of those who die are cremated. However, the rate of cremation is accelerating, especially in view of the disappearance of many religious objections.
The primary reason for the increasing popularity of cremation is one of economics. Cremation occurs in a crematorium at a temperature of approximately 2300.degree. F. What remains of the deceased after two hours of exposure to such an elevated temperature is but a calcium deposit which may be entirely contained in a vessel the size of a textbook. Such a vessel, of course, is substantially less expensive than a casket of the type used in a traditional funeral.
In addition to the reduced cost of hardware for the deceased, the practice of cremation results in further savings to the survivors by reducing the amount of real estate required by the deceased, and the maintenance thereof. Moreover, survivors who are required to move their residences frequently can easily and inexpensively bring the remains of deceased loved ones to the new location.
One known system for interring the ashes of cremated deceased persons utilizes a frame-like structure for holding a plurality of cremation urns. The frame is flexible as to size, shape and urn capacity, depending upon the manner in which it is assembled. Such a system, however, leaves the cremation urns exposed to the environment, and must be constructed so as to be arranged against a further structure, such as a wall. Thus, this known arrangement is not free-standing and is difficult to transport to new locations.
A further known receptacle for the ashes of a body after cremation is in the form of a columbarium in which horizontally disposed tube structures are arrayed in a contiguous side-by-side relationship. A plurality of receptacles containing the cremated remains are configured so as to conform to the interior cross-sectional shape of the tube structures, but slightly smaller. This permits the receptacles to be sequentially loaded axially into the tube structures for storage. The tube structures are held in a generally close adjacent side-by-side arrangement by horizontal and vertical frame members. Alternatively, the tube structures may have a cross-section which simulates a six-sided honeycomb. Although a high interment density is achieved with this arrangement, access to the remains of persons previously interred requires disturbance of the remains of the more recently interred.
Neither of the foregoing known interment arrangements provides the aesthetic appeal and security against cemetery vandalism which is achieved by using traditional monument materials. Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an interment arrangement for cremated remains contained in respective remains vessels, the arrangement being formed of conventional cemetery monument materials.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an interment arrangement having an advantageously adjustable capacity.
It is another object of this invention to provide an above-ground interment arrangement wherein each remains vessel is accessible independently of other such vessels interred in the arrangement.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide an interment arrangement for cremated remains contained in individual remains vessels, the arrangement being constructed of a predetermined stone material with a minimum of waste.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide an interment arrangement for cremated remains, the arrangement having a plurality of repository chambers, each repository chamber having a respective cover which closes the associated repository chamber and through which access to the cremated remains is obtained.
A further object of the invention is to provide an above-ground interment arrangement which can be easily moved to a new location.
Another object of the invention is to provide an interment arrangement for the cremated remains of a multiplicity of deceased persons, each such remains having a respective repository chamber having an associated cover which can be inscribed to identify the deceased person whose remains lie therein.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide an interment arrangement for cremated remains, which can be formed from an existing monument presently in place on a cemetery plot. Thus, when the cemetery plot is full and cannot accomodate a further conventional casket, the existing monument can be reconfigured in accordance with the invention to accomodate the cremated remains of a recently deceased person.